Edoxaban treatment in a post-infarction experimental model.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pharmacology
• Experimental Medicine

Background:

• Myocardial infarction (MI) sequelae necessitate pharmacological interventions to mitigate adverse cardiac remodelling and prevent cardiovascular complications.
• Post-MI cardiac remodelling is a significant concern, often leading to heart failure and other cardiovascular issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of edoxaban, a direct oral anticoagulant, on cardiac recovery following permanent coronary artery ligation in a rat model.
• To assess the potential of edoxaban in minimizing post-MI remodelling and improving cardiac function.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a rat model of permanent coronary artery ligation to induce myocardial infarction.
• Employed cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological analysis over 4 weeks to evaluate post-MI remodelling.
• Administered daily oral edoxaban (20 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 28 days post-MI.

Main Results:

• Edoxaban was found to be safe in the experimental model, with minimal bleeding observed.
• Animals treated with edoxaban exhibited improved body weight recovery compared to the vehicle group (38.6 ± 2.9 g vs. 29.9 ± 3.1 g).
• Edoxaban mitigated cardiac fibrosis, evidenced by reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) in the peri-infarct zone, although pronounced effects on overall cardiac remodelling were not observed.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac MRI is a feasible method for studying cardiac function and characterizing myocardial scarring in a rat MI model.
• Edoxaban demonstrated safety and suggested improved post-MI recovery, likely through fibrosis reduction.
• Further investigation into the mid-term cardiac recovery effects of edoxaban after myocardial infarction is justified.